Jewelry catch



Feb. 13, 1962 J. DE CURTIS EIAL 3,020,614

JEWELRY CATCH Filed June 30, 1959 HENRY L. FERRXKfKS Jggspa DE CURTIS MW yw JVWM g ATTORNEY United States Patent 'CflFice 7 3,020,614 Patented Feb. 13, 1.962

3,020,614 JEWELRY CATCH.

Joseph De Curtis, 12 Bevely Ann Drive, North Providence, R.ll., and Henry L. Ferragamo, 94 Roslyn Ave, Cranston, RI.

Filed June 30, 1959, Ser. No. 823,896 3 Claims. (1. 24-232) This invention relates to a jewelry catch and more particularly to a catch or joint such as is used in the mounting of a pin stem in working position.

One of the objects of the present invention is to construct a catch or joint in such a way that alignment adjustments can readily be made after the catch or joint is permanently attached to the part upon which it is mounted.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a base for such a catch or joint which may be made of any desired size or shape for the presentation of a surface of a sufficient area to aiford a strong solder attachment of the catch or joint to the part on which it is mounted.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a catch or joint of such form that it maybe formed automatically by successive tool operations from a sheet of stock.

And still another object of the present invention is to provide a catch or joint which may be more easily soldered and which will more readily stand up itself in position without tipping over.

Other objects of the present invention will become ap parent in part and be pointed out in part in the following specification and claims.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts in the following drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a back plan view of an ornamental mounting having a pin stem, to which the new and improved jewelry catch and joint are attached.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational View of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a right hand end elevational view of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the new and improved safety catch.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the new and improved joint.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing the head element realigned or twisted in relation to the base.

FIGURE 7 shows the preliminary blank form of the joint.

FIGURE 8 shows the preliminary blank form of the catch body.

IGURE 9 shows the folded form of the catch body.

FIGURE 10 is a detail perspective view of the rotatable catch ring.

In the use of joints and/or safety jewelry catches until recently the same were constructed in a manner which forbid realigning the pin carrying joint with the safety catch once the base of each was permanently attached to the ornamental mounting plate. It exact parallel alignment between the joint and safety catch was not achieved at the time of initial soldering, one or the other or both of the catches or joints had to be removed and reworked. This was a time consuming operation and tedious to the nerves of a worker who in the first instance had to be skilled and in the exercise of great care to accomplish the initial soldering operation.

The present invention overcomes these undesirable conditions by providing a catch and/or joint construction which permits adjustment to the head of a catch or joint after the base has been permanently attached to a mountmg.

Referring to FIGURES 5 and 7 wherein is illustrated a joint, generally indicated by reference numeral 10, comprising a blank having a base 11, a single elongated stem 12 and a cross bar 13 positioned entirely at the end of said stem opposite the base. Cross bar 13 consists of two identical geometrically opposite forms which bend along dot, dash lines 14, 15 to produce a U-shaped back 16 (see FIGURE 5) and two parallelly aligned arms 17, 18 having aligned bearings 20, 21, respectively.

Referring to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, a pin stem 23 is pivotally mounted to joint 10 by means of a pintle 24 fixed in bearings 20, 21. Base 11 is permanently attached to an ornamental bar 25 by means of soldering, brazing, welding or the like.

Similarly, a safety catch, generally indicated by reference character Stl, is formed with a base 31, a stem 32 and a cross bar 33. Cross bar 33 consists of two similar geometrically opposite forms which bend along dot, dash lines 34, 35 to produce a U-shaped back 36 and two parallelly aligned arms 37, 38 having aligned slots 42, 43 which convert arms 37, 38 into hooks. Hooks 37, 38 are provided with aligned bearings 46, 41. Hook 37 is provided with a groove 44 on its inner face. Hook 38 is provided with a companion ridge 45 on its inner face. A. ring 50 is placed between hooks 37, 38 and is rotatively mounted in groove 44 and ridge 45 to be rotated therein. Ring 50 is provided with a slot 53 which is adapted to be placed in and out of register with the slots 42, 43, according to the rotation of the ring. Ring 50 is operated by studs '54, 54A which project from the circumference of the ring for its manual operation.

Base 31 is permanently attached to an ornamental bar 25 by means of soldering, brazing, welding or the like. Slots 42, 43 and 53 when aligned receive the end of pin stem 23. Ring 50 is rotated to secure the end of pin stem 23 in bearings 40, 41. It is imperative that slots 42, 43 and 53 are aligned perpendicularly to pin stem 23. If base 11 and base 31 are properly aligned at the time they are secured to ornamental bar 25, no problem arises. If they are not aligned stem 12 or stem 32 or both of them are sufliciently ductile to be twisted or bent forward or backward, up or down, laterally or sidewise to properly align pin stem 23 with slots 42, 43 and 53. Thus saving time and labor in the former necessity of removing either base 11 or base 31, or both of them from ornamental bar 25 and realigning and re-afiixing them in aligned position.

Having shown and described preferred embodiments of the present invention, by way of example, it should be realized that structural changes could be made and other examples given without departing from either the spirit or scope of this invention.

What we claim is:

l. A jewelry catch comprising a blank having a base, a

single elongated stem and a cross bar, said cross bar consisting of two similar geometrically opposite forms bent to produce a U-shaped back having two parallelly aligned arms positioned entirely at the end of said stem opposite the base, axially aligned bearings in said two parallelly aligned arms, said base being bent at an approximate right angle to said stem, said U-shaped back terminating the upper end of said stem, said two parallelly aligned arms overlying said base, said stem being ductile thereby to permit it to be twisted sidewise and forward and back to place said two parallelly aligned arms in selected position in relation to said base.

2. A jewelry catch consisting of a single elongated vertical stern integrally formed with a base at one end, said base at approximate right angles thereto and two parallelly aligned arms united by. a U-shaped back integrally formed as the other end of said vertical stem, said two parallelly aligned arms overlying said base, said stem being sufficiently ductile to be twisted and bent to selectively 3 position said two parallelly aligned arms in selected position in relation to said base.

3. A jewelry catch comprising a blank having a base, a single elongated ductile stem and a cross bar, said cross bar consisting of two similar geometrically opposite forms bent to produce a U-shaped back having two parallelly aligned arms positioned entirely at the end of said stem opposite the base, aligned slots in said arms forming hooks, a groove in one hook, a companion ridge in the other hook, a ring provided with a slot rotatively held between said arms by means of said groove and ridge, a stud on said ring to manually rotate said ring to place said slot in said ring into and out of register with said aligned slots in said arms, said base bent at an approxi- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,497,846 Farnham June 17, 1924 2,094,795 Oakey June 11, 1935 2,142,877 Wells Jan. 3, 1939 2,383,012 Morehouse Aug. 21, 1945 

